The FPGA Advantage for Secure 5G Infrastructure – A Dell Perspective

As governments and defense organizations deploy private 5G networks, infrastructure must deliver both high performance and strong security at the network edge. Radio Units (RUs) are particularly sensitive components because they interface directly between digital network infrastructure and the RF spectrum. A recent Dell Technologies whitepaper highlights how FPGA-based Open RAN Radio Units (O-RUs) address these requirements, with Dell’s platform built on the Altera Agilex® 7 SoC FPGA to provide a secure and adaptable hardware foundation with a US-based supply chain. 

Unlike fixed-function ASIC-based radio designs, FPGAs provide a reconfigurable hardware fabric that allows signal processing pipelines, protocol logic, and security mechanisms to evolve after deployment. This architectural flexibility is particularly valuable for mission-critical networks, where systems must adapt to new interference patterns, protocol changes, or emerging threat vectors without requiring hardware replacement. Dell’s analysis notes that FPGA-based systems allow hardware functionality and algorithms to be updated via secure configuration updates rather than redesigning silicon, thereby extending operational lifecycles and enabling faster response to changing requirements.

Security begins with ensuring that only trusted configurations run on the device. Agilex 7 devices integrate a hardened Secure Device Manager (SDM) that establishes a hardware root of trust and manages secure configuration of the FPGA. Features such as secure boot, cryptographic configuration authentication, bitstream encryption, and anti-tamper protections ensure that device configuration images are verified and protected before execution. These mechanisms protect both system integrity and intellectual property while enabling trusted updates throughout the deployment lifecycle. Because key radio processing functions are implemented in programmable logic, new algorithms or countermeasures can be deployed through authenticated configuration updates rather than replacing fielded equipment.

This combination of hardware-rooted security and reconfigurable architecture is why FPGA platforms like Agilex 7 SoC FPGAs are increasingly used as the foundation for secure, adaptable Open RAN infrastructure. Altera is powering Dell’s RU ORAN engine using the Altera O-RU IP Suite and Enablement package.

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To learn more, see Dell’s whitepaper “FPGA-Powered 5G: Securing Mission-Critical Connectivity."